Azerbaijan says its military drills in sovereign territories in line with Vienna Document [UPDATE]

The exercises carried out by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in sovereign territories are in line with the Vienna Document 2011 of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's spokesman Hikmat Hajiyev told Trend on March 12.

He noted that Armenia, grossly violating the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and commitments undertaken within other OSCE documents, occupied the territories of Azerbaijan using force against the country.

"The presence of Armenian troops in the occupied Azerbaijani territories continues to be a serious threat to regional peace and security," Hajiyev said.

He said that grossly violating the commitments undertaken within the Vienna Document, Armenia does not provide any information on the number of manpower, military equipment deployed in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, and places of deployment, as well as military exercises conducted in the occupied territories with participation of the Armenian president.

"The country hides these forces from the corresponding inspection provided for in the Vienna Document."

According to Hajiyev, Armenia's holding military exercises, in which more than 40,000 people and thousands of military equipment participated and where military helicopters of the Armenian Armed Forces held attacking maneuvers over the positions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan after the Paris meeting of the heads of state in November 2014, is a vivid example of Armenia's grossly violating its obligations and its hypocrisy.

"The exercises presently conducted by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in sovereign territories are in line with the Vienna Document 2011 of the OSCE," Hajiyev said.

In accordance with the plan approved by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev, the large-scale exercises with the participation of various military branches, formations and military units of Azerbaijani Army started on March 12.

The exercises involved up to 25,000 military personnel, up to 250 tanks and other armored vehicles, up to 1,000 missiles and artillery systems of different caliber, multiple launch rocket systems and mortars, up to 50 army and front-line aviation.